Somewhere Only We Know
by Lamaire Grey
Summary: Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she’s not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get use
1. Complete

Somewhere Only We Know

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it?****Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Chapter 1: Complete**

_I walked across an empty land  
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand  
I felt the earth beneath my feet  
Sat by the river and it made me complete_

Seventeen year old Hermione Granger brushed a stray curl behind her ear, as she walked briskly along the dimly lit corridor that led to the Hogwarts library.

She pushed open the heavy oak doors and breathed in the musky smell of the thousands of books that awaited her.

She nodded a brief hello to Madam Pince, the librarian, before weaving in between desks and bookshelves to the very back corner of the library, to a battered wooden desk, completely concealed from view.

Hermione visibly relaxed as she unloaded her materials and text books onto the shiny wooden surface and slumped inelegantly into the chair that accompanied the work space.

Everyone, no matter who you are or where you are, has that one special place that is completely yours. A little nook in your life where you feel completely unperturbed and relaxed, where you can exist without the fronts and personas we barricade ourselves beneath in everyday life.

Harry potters was when he was flying. In summer with the sun beating down on his back or in the winter with the raindrops and wind stinging his face, he felt free.

Ron Weasley found his solitude playing wizards chess by the fire. He was by far the best chess player in the whole of Hogwarts and he revelled in this fact.

Neville Longbottom found his among his plants, in greenhouse three. Possibly the only place he had never had an accident or knocked something over. The little green tendrils seemed to have a soothing effect on his nerves.

Hermione Grangers secret recess was this table. The large oak surface and comfortable battered chair, soothed away her worries and stress from the day.

It was here that shed studied for her owls and received full marks in every single exam.

It was here which shed discovered the answer to the chamber of secrets entrance.

She could still remember writing the word onto a scrap of parchment, _pipes. _The lettering had dug into the wood beneath and now she could still trace her finger over the letters, a slight smile on her lips and a haunting look in her eyes.

Yes this table was Hermione's, it always had been and it always would be.

Hermione rested her head on her arm, which was carelessly thrown across the table top, and closed her eyes. It had been such a challenging day.


	2. A Meeting With Malfoy

Somewhere Only We Know

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? ****Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!****Thanks to my reviewers: luvDramione and lilmissgullible – you guys ROCK!****Hope this chapter lives up to expectations – is Draco mean enough? Plz review! Cheers!**

Somewhere Only We Know

Chapter 2: A meeting with Malfoy

_I walked across an empty land  
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand_

"Oh just get on with it Ronald!" Hermione's voice rang shrilly across the common room.Ron Weasley glared furiously at his best friend as he crumpled up his fifth attempt at writing his potions essay.

"Well if you would help me then maybe it would be finished by now" he challenged

Hermione sighed, "I'm not going to be able to bail you out forever Ron, deal with it"

And with a final glare at the red head she swept her books into her bag and headed through the portrait hole.

"I'm going to the library, see you at dinner"

_How dare Ron! _Hermione fumed to herself. Sometimes it seemed like all Harry and Ron wanted her for was a homework clinic. Well she wasn't having it anymore; they were going to have to stand on their own two feet if they were going to get a pass grade on their forthcoming exams.

Or on Snape's potions project………..

_Dammit!_

Hermione picked up her pace. She had forgotten all about that stupid project, which was highly unusual for her. She was always so good with getting homework done.

She had almost reached a running pace by this time but slowed down as madam Pince shot a reproving glare her way.

She walked her usual path towards her corner of the library, checking her bag to see if she had all of her books.

"What the hell - ?" Hermione stopped abruptly as she rounded the corner of a towering bookshelf full of dusty volumes.

Her desk was the same as it had always been, except for a very innocent looking notebook, which lay casually open on the edge of the table.

Slowly she edged closer to the notebook and flipped it over to read the name of the front cover.

Written in elaborately curled emerald letters, was the name;

_Draco Malfoy_

"Granger I wish you'd keep your dirty little mudblood hands off my belongings"

Hermione felt a shiver go up her spine as the unmistakable drawl of Draco Malfoy echoed in her ears.

She spun round quickly and came face to face with the sturdy six foot frame of her nemesis.

"Ferret face, why are your _belongings_ on _my_ desk?" Hermione refused to get angry. The term he addressed her by, although still hurtful, was the norm and she wouldn't let it get to her.

"_Your _desk?" inquired Malfoy, his trade mark smirk forming on his features.

"I wasn't aware you owned this particular desk. My mistake. Ill move immediately"

Hermione surprised was obvious as she gaped at him

"Really?" she asked in astonishment

"Don't be ridiculous" Malfoy mocked as he pushed past her and slumped with more elegance then Hermione had ever possessed in her life, into a chair.

Hermione watched as he unloaded his quills and parchment and began to copy notes from the heavy text he had brought with him into the not – so – innocent – anymore notebook.

Hermione felt the anger inside her begin to rise and she slammed her books onto the table, sending Malfoy's inkwell flying.

"Listen here Malfoy" she spat "I have been using this table in this library for the past 6 years and I'm not about to stop now"

And with that she dragged a chair across to the desk and plonked her self down opposite the blonde boy.

He stared at curiously

"I'm sorry but what the hell do you think your doing?" he asked incredulously

"Well if you wont move, well share" she answered a look of pure innocence on her pretty features. Draco however noticed the challenging look in her eyes.

"Malfoy's don't share" he stated through gritted teeth, silver grey eyes narrowing

Hermione smirked at him, "don't? Or wont?" she challenged him, "it's about time you learnt that being related to pureblood scum doesn't get you everything"

"Is that so granger" Malfoy raised one perfectly arched eyebrow at her, "ill remember that when I go home to my manor house, in my extremely expensive robes carrying my one of a kind broomstick" he mocked smugly

"Surely that should be: when you go home _alone" _Hermione corrected him angrily.

"It's not like you have any friends to stay with or anything"

Malfoy stiffened suddenly and Hermione bit her lip, feeling for the first time she'd gone to far. I mean they were out of sight here and Malfoy's wand was just resting beside his hand. He could do anything.

However what he did disarmed her more then any spell could have done.

"You know your so amusing when you're angry, mudblood" he smiled, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms behind his head in a casual pose.

He took in the sight of her wild attempts to think up a retort, before lazily reaching for his quill and beginning his essay.

"Now if you don't mind I have a potions essay to do"

Hermione cursed in frustration, "you're insufferable!" she yelled, before grabbing her books and stalking out of the library.


	3. pretence

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? ****Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible,****Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) and SugarHighGemini – u all rock soooooooo much!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

****

Somewhere Only We Know

****

Chapter 3: 

__

You say you wander you're own land,

_But when I think about it I don't see how you can_

"Ouch!" Hermione yelped as she took a huge sip from her boiling hot mug of tea. She was determined to get to the library before Malfoy that morning and having to eat breakfast wasn't going to prevent her. Especially from getting one up on ferret boy.

"Christ Mione! You've got all day to eat breakfast!" Harry commented as he watched her cool her tea quickly with magic.

"Yeah why the big rush, it's a Saturday remember……" Ron chipped in, looking just as baffled as Harry, at his friend's strange breakfasting habits.

"Got to get to the library" Hermione sprayed them with crumbs as she stuffed a piece of toast in her mouth.

Harry grimaced

"But you've got the whole weekend to go to the library"

He started but then just shrugged.Once Hermione had her mind set on going to the library, there was no stopping her.Harry sometimes wandered whether she preferred books to him and Ron…..

Hermione swallowed, and then stood up, sweeping her bag into her arms, before turning and heading out of the bustling great hall.

Draco Malfoy smirked in amusement as he watched the bushy haired Gryffindor wedge a piece of toast in her mouth and chew rapidly.

_Maybe potter has the plague_ he pondered wistfully

He turned his gaze once again to the far side of the room, just in time to see Hermione leave the hall in the direction of the library.

He smiled to himself and standing up, he decided to put his plan into action immediately. What better way to spend the morning, he thought, then infuriating Gryffindor's?

_Still it would have been better if potter had had the plague……._

As she turned the corner into the library Hermione saw no sign of Malfoy and knew she had won, as he had still been in the hall when she'd left. She gave herself a mental high five as she swaggered through the library to reclaim her table.

"I don't believe it!" Hermione jaw dropped as she rounded a bookcase, only to find a certain blonde Slytherin, leaning lazily against her table.

"How'd the-, how did you-?" Hermione stuttered in shock.

Malfoy smiled evilly at her, " as I told you mudblood, this is my table"

Hermione felt herself blush angrily at the name he'd used. Why was she letting him get to her like this?

She stood there for a few minutes, letting her anger seep slowly away, until all calm was restored. Then she leisurely sauntered past him and began to take out her books.Once shed seated herself opposite him, she spoke.

" This is my table, I found it first so I am going to be working here from now on"

She chanced a glance at Malfoy's expression, but rapidly looked down again at the look of pure malice on his face.

" Now leave and let me be"

She could hear Malfoy shuffling his text books around. He's actually doing as I say she thought gleefully.

Moments later, however she bought her head up abruptly at the sound of a chair being dragged across the floor.

She stared incredulously at Malfoy, who was now sitting on the opposite side of the desk, reading his potions book.

Catching her expression of complete confusion, Malfoy shot her nonchalant look,

" I thought about leaving, but I have every right to be here, so I decided against it" he once again began to pretend to read.

"_You decided against it?_" Hermione repeated, not quite believing her ears

"Yes, _against it_" Malfoy confirmed superiorly

" I thought Malfoy's didn't share" Hermione mocked

" They don't, I'm pretending you don't exist" the pale boy retorted

" Malfoy……"

"What!" he spat, " I'm busy"

" Your books upside down…."


	4. The Invite And The Unexpected

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) and SugarHighGemini – u all rock soooooooo much!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 4:

_Don't laugh at me, don't look away_

Three weeks had passed since the incident between Malfoy and Hermione and the former could presently be found finishing an essay on minerals found in cacti for professor sprout.

He didn't look up as he felt latter walk by and seat herself in the chair opposite.

Their ritual was now a familiar and comfortable one.

They would ignore each other presence, until one of them snapped. Next there would be a barrage of insults. Harsh words and jibs would fly like lightening across the wooden surface.

Finally it would end in the exchange of various threats of curses and corruption, before both would settle back down to their work and promptly feign ignorance of each others existence once again.

However, today Draco's attention was called on more rapidly then he'd thought.

He glanced up as he heard Hermione let out a frustrated cry.

" granger, are you going to persist in making that awful noise or am I going to have to curse you till you wont be able to" He drawled.

However, instead of the witty and stinging retort he was expecting, he watched, trying to suppress his bewildered expression, as Hermione stood up tersely and made to storm off.

" What? Cant take the heat mudblood" Draco maliciously proclaimed

"Shut up ferret boy, I'm just having a few problems finding the information I need for Snape's sodding project, okay!" she yelled, turning on him, "I wouldn't expect you to know anything about hard work; you probably paid someone to do your project!"

And without a final glance back she stormed out of the library, knocking his books to the floor and earning herself a reprimanding glare from madam Pince.

Hermione realised that for once she didn't actually care.

Hermione clambered through the fat lady's portrait hole and slumped into one of the squashy armchairs by the common room fire, by which Harry and Ron were playing a rather violent game of wizard's chess.

"Yes!" Ron whooped in ecstasy as his knight battered Harry bishop.

"Not so fast mate" Harry grinned, as he made his next move, "check!"

Ron scowled and scrutinized the chess board, as though surveying his troops on a battle field. Then he gradually began to smile.

"Oh no" groaned Harry, as for the seventh game in a row Ron rearranged his pieces on the board and called out

"Check mate!"

Harry threw a cushion at his friend, " I don't know how you do it" he sulked

Ron answered by smacking him over the head with a grin, leaving Harry's glasses askew.

"Pure genius! That's how" he laughed.

Hermione joined in with the laughter, her potions project forgotten. How she loved her friends. Harry and Ron had the unbelievable gift of being able to take her mind off her worries and to forget about her problems.

"What are you laughing at?" Harry grinned slyly, picking up a cushion

"No! Harry don't!" Hermione squealed as she ducked the cushion aimed at her.

Harry jumped up and grabbed more cushion ammo from the neighbouring sofa.

Hermione squirmed to get away.

"Owww" Harry yelped in pain, and his hand suddenly clasped his scar.

Hermione dashed to his side, "what's wrong Harry? Do you want me to get madam Pomfrey?" she asked, concern and panic rising as she spoke.

Harry shook his head, "it's just a twinge" he replied,

"its nothing honestly" he insisted at the concerned looks on his best friend's faces.

"Perhaps you should get some rest mate" Ron suggested, nodding towards the staircases that led to the boys dorms.

Harry nodded and began to climb the staircase to the seventh year dormitory, still massaging his forehead.

Hermione gulped and looked at Ron worriedly.

"Is he alright d'you think? You don't think it's a sign do you? Of…… you know……… Voldemort…….." she stammered, wringing her hands together.

Ron moved towards her and pulled her into a hug.

" Harry's going to be fine mione, his scars been hurting for years" Ron soothed, " its nothing I promise" he repeated Harry's words as she bit her lip in worry.

"Anyway….." Ron broke the hug and moved away from her, till he was standing beside the fireplace, "I wanted to…….. Well I was wondering……… for some time actually……." He stammered, blushing almost as red as his hair.

Hermione frowned at Ron's strange behaviour

Ron straightened up and with a burst of unusual confidence; blurted out, "I was wondering if you would come to the Halloween ball with me?" he blushed furiously yet again, leaving Hermione speechless.

" I …….. I haven't really thou-"Hermione started only to be interrupted by Ron

"You can think about it" he insisted, taking the steps to the boy's dorms two at a time, "just tell me next week or something" and he disappeared from view.

Hermione gaped after him. After all these years Ron had finally asked her to a ball first!

She glanced around wildly, and realised she was the only one in the common room.

Did she like Ron in that way? Sure she had in the past, but did she still? And on top of all this Harry's scar was hurting again………

She let her second frustrated groan of the day and slumped back into the sofa.


	5. A Little Bit Of Help

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) and SugarHighGemini – u all rock soooooooo much!**

**Lilmissgullible: You'll soon find out if Ron and Hermione go to the ball together – it's coming up in this chappie! And yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol! **

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 5: Advice

_Your aching, you're breaking,_

_And I can see the pain in your eyes,_

_Everybody's changing,_

_And I don't know why_

It had been a week since Ron's flustered proposal that had left Hermione bewildered and slightly embarrassed. She still had no clue if going to the ball together would affect their friendship or not.

Hermione gazed out across the court yard and the road that led to Hogsmede.

Autumn was defiantly upon them. She watched as the first years, bundled up in their scarves and heavy winter cloaks, kicked about the red and yellow leaves that had lain in neat mounds before the rain had stopped.

She let out a giggle as one of the first years shoved a huge handful of wet leaves down his friends back.

They reminded her very much of Harry and Ron.

She stopped her laughter as a playful fist fight started between the two boys though.

Hermione's small burst of laughter had caused Draco to look up from his books to stare in amusement and amazement at the bushy haired girl opposite him.

Draco hated to admit it but in the time he'd spent with the Gryffindor, he had begun to see why she was such a popular person.

The tiniest thing bought a smile to her face, she seemed to know everyone and always made time to chat to them and remembered the tiniest personal facts about them.

Although he still maintained that there was nothing special about her appearance, her intelligence seemed to shine through in whatever she did and he couldn't help but notice how her eyes shone when she laughed…….

_Stop it! _

Draco cursed himself mentally, shaking the thoughts out of his head.

_This is Granger! A mudblood and a Gryffindor!_

Just then Hermione turned her head from the window, out of which shed been watching the first years mess around in the courtyard, and caught his eye. Draco quickly dropped his gaze down to his books again.

Hermione frowned at the blonde boy, who was pretending to read his text book on ancient runes. Why had he been looking at her with that peculiar look on his face?

She studied him carefully.

There was no doubt about it – Draco Malfoy was defiantly good looking. She could almost see why Parvati and lavender along with the majority of the female population of Hogwarts swooned over him; pansy especially.

His frame was tall and sturdy, from playing all that quidditch she suspected, as it wasn't dissimilar to Harry's and Ron's. He was a good flyer, just as talented as Harry but he flew with an elegance and style that Harry had not and probably would never achieve.

She watched as he ran his hand through his fine white blonde hair, well aware of her eyes on him, in a distinctly frustrated manner.

Suddenly he snapped.

"What is it granger?" he asked irritably, looking up abruptly from his books and holding her eye contact.

Hermione struggled wildly to find an excuse for her unwavering attention to him.

"I…. er…….. I wanted…….." she started hurriedly, a blush tingeing her pale cheeks.

"I wanted to ask……. For your advice!" she finished triumphantly

Draco stared.

"My advice?" he repeated

"Er…. Yeah", Hermione's mind hunted for a problem, "you see Ron asked me to the ball and I don't know whether to go with him in case it ruins our friendship or something………" she trailed off miserably – of all the things she could have asked!

Draco continued to stare at her and it was all Hermione could do to keep eye contact with him.

After a while he spoke.

"Go with weasel, its obvious he likes you a lot and just enjoy yourself" Draco stopped and realised that he was sounding like he actually cared.

"Its not like you're going to get any other offers"

He righted himself, securing his position as Slytherin and Malfoy once again.

Hermione's expression instantly changed from one of gratefulness to a very confused and hurt one, as if he had just slapped her.

Draco hurriedly got to his feet and shoved his books in his bag, before swaggering out of the library, as fast as possible.

Hermione's lip quivered, then her eyes fell on a book, left by Malfoy.

She had an urge to throw it at him but he was no longer in throwing range.

She pulled the volume towards her and was surprised to see a note stuck to the front cover.

_Page 148 -149 will help_

Curious, she opened the book at the suggested pages and her eyes widened in disbelief.

In front of her lay a set of instructions and detailed notes on the potions project Snape had set them. The one she'd struggled with for so long. The one she'd yelled at Malfoy over……….


	6. Yes

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) and SugarHighGemini – u all rock soooooooo much!**

**Lilmissgullible: You'll soon find out if Ron and Hermione go to the ball together – it's coming up in this chappie! And yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol! **

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 6:

_Try to make a move,_

_Just to stay in the game,_

_I try to stay awake,_

_And remember my name_

Hermione paced back and forth in front of the common room fire.

She was waiting for Ron to return from dinner.

He had defiantly been avoiding her, but then again she hadn't exactly been trying to bump into him either.

She stopped her pacing as she heard the portrait hole open, and her stomach churned as Ron clambered through, into the room.

Harry, who was close behind him, gave Hermione an encouraging smile before darting up the stairs to the boy's dorm, under the pretence of needing an early night.

Ron made to follow him, but Hermione moved forward, speaking quickly.

"Ron, I er….. I wanted to tell you…….."

she struggled to find the right words, and after shaking herself mentally, she smiled and simply said;

"Yes"

Ron beamed at her and sprinted across to hug her,

"I knew you would, I mean at first I was worried but-"

Hermione interrupted him and moved away from his embrace,

"Just as long as this doesn't affect our friendship okay?" she insisted, holding Ron at arms length.

Ron smiled and pushed her playfully on the arm,

"Of course it won't, were best friends, nothing can change that" he replied

"Well I'll see you tomorrow night then, I'll meet you down here at seven?"

Hermione nodded and watched as the red head bounded away up the staircase, eager to share his good news with Harry.

Hermione climbed her own staircase, a smile forming on her lips, and was immediately pounced on by lavender and Parvati, both of whom were desperate for the gossip on her and Ron.

Hermione answered the questions and couldn't help being overcome by girly silliness as the three discussed dresses and other frivolous matters way into the night.

Draco's book lay, not forgotten, on Hermione's bedside table.

And as she turned out the light at nearly three in the morning, she traced a finger down its cover and wondered why on earth Malfoy would want to help her.

**SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT GUYS BUT NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE MUCH LONGER AND HPOEFULLY BETTER.**

**QUICK QUESTION – DO WE LIKE THE WAY THIS IS GOING OR ARE THEIR ANY WAYS I COULD MAKE IT BETTER? NEED SOME HELP SO ANY IDEAS WOULD BE MUCH APPRIECATED! CHEERS!**


	7. The Ball

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) and SugarHighGemini – u all rock soooooooo much!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol! **

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**LOL – I told you this chappie would be longer – plz review and tell me what you thought – is it moving too fast? **

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 7: The Ball

_On a day like today,_

_I looked at you, _

_And I saw something in the way,_

_You stared into the sky._

_I saw you were sick and tired,_

_Of my wrong turns,_

_If you only knew the way I feel,_

_Id really love to tell you._

Hermione stood in front of a full length mirror and smiled.

How she had grown, she thought, as she reminisced on her first ever ball, back in her fourth year when she had taken everyone by surprise when she had turned up on the arm of Viktor Krum – the world's most famous seeker.

As much as she hated to admit it, she had loved being the centre of attention, and for something other then her brains and good grades.

Usually she regarded these feelings as silly and dumb, only cherished by those girls who used their looks to get what they wanted and whose whole lives were dedicated to being on the arm of a famous wizard.

But now all she wanted was for the male population of Hogwarts eyes to be on her, and she didn't know when her morals had changed.

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

It was a quarter to seven.

She hurriedly finished curling her usually bushy brown locks and pinned them into place at the back of her head.

She tightened the straps on her dress, and nearly tripping over its mass of floaty skirts, she made her way over to the table where her clock stood and picked up Malfoy's book.

He had not been to the library for quite some time, not since he had left her this book and this had brought about some feelings that Hermione would rather not have experienced.

But he would be at the ball this evening and so she shrunk the book to tiny proportions and slipped it into her purse, with the intention of handing it over to its rightful owner with a brief thank you, before pushing these strange new emotions to the back of her mind and losing herself in the night.

Hermione got her wish that night.

As soon as she stepped out of her dormitory, into the warmly lit common room, all heads turned towards her.

She smiled nervously, as she walked down the steps to join Ron, whose jaw was hanging wide open at the sight of her.

She let out a slight giggle at his expression and took the arm he offered to her.

"Catching flies Ron?" she laughed, as he blushed before closing his mouth quickly.

"You look……… you look-"Ron started and Hermione kissed him on the cheek

"Thank you" she replied

They made their way down to the great hall slowly, as Hermione's skirts were being less then helpful in her efforts to walk elegantly.

"Damn thing!" she muttered as she nearly tripped for the fourth time.

She grabbed her wand from her purse and magically shortened the front of the material.

Harry passed them on the way down, arm in arm with none other then Ginny Weasley, who was clad in a simple gold gown and an enormous grin.

It seemed someone had finally got their prince charming, Hermione thought.

Ron, however, was frowning at his best friend.

"Harry mate, I think we need to have a word" he commanded, dropping Hermione's arm and dragging Harry away from the crowd.

"You two go on" Harry called, "we'll meet you in there" as he turned to an angry looking Ron

Hermione and Ginny rolled their eyes at each other and laughed.

"Shall we?" Hermione gestured to the hall and Ginny nodded.

They walked into the hall and gasped.

The four house tables had disappeared and instead of the teachers table, a live band was playing a fast dance song.

A mass of faeries were perched along the walls and window sills, lighting up the whole room and Hermione looked up to see an explosion of lights rupture across the magically enchanted ceiling.

"It's the end of the universe" a soft voice explained in Hermione's right ear.

She whirled round to come face to face with professor Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled warmly at her as she greeted him.

"Although I doubt you are alone this evening miss granger, I'm sure Mr. Weasley wouldn't mind if I asked our esteemed head girl for this dance?"

The headmaster chuckled to himself as Hermione's eyes widened at the knowledge that her and Ron were known about, even by the teachers.

"Unless of course, you have promised this dance to your new study partner……?"

Dumbledore nodded his head over Hermione's shoulder.

She turned to see Malfoy standing, looking decidedly bored, talking to Pansy Parkinson.

Hermione bit her lip uneasily and turned back to Dumbledore

"I don't have the faintest clue what you mean professor" she murmured, but took his hand as a new song began to play.

Draco watched as Hermione waltzed across the dance floor with the headmaster and smiled as she tried to keep up with Dumbledore's fast paced dance steps.

She was a good dancer he had to admit and she looked incred-

No, he muttered quietly, enough of these thoughts.

He'd been avoiding the library since the day he'd left Hermione his potions notes, after cruelly insulting her.

He'd tried to tell himself that he'd felt bad because of the hurt look in her eyes, but he knew that he had arranged to help her even before he'd insulted her.

It was this realisation that had left him confused and up tossing and turning till the early hours in the morning the previous night.

He watched as Weasley and potter entered the hall and joined the youngest weasel.

He noted that potter had his arm around her and that Weasley was looking far from pleased about this arrangement.

Weasley mouthed something to Harry who peered round the hall and shrugged.

Then the youngest weasel joined in – nodding towards where professor Dumbledore and Hermione were dancing.

Ron grinned and made his way through the dancing couples, to reclaim his date from the headmaster.

Draco scowled as Hermione gratefully took Ron's arm and began to dance more slowly with the red head.

Finding a jealous feeling swirl in his stomach yet again, he slammed his glass of punch down on the nearest table and stormed out of the hall, couples jumping apart as he went.

No one in their right mind would want to get in Draco Malfoy's way when he was in a bad mood.

Draco sought solace in the only place he knew how, the table in the library.

He had never had his own private space and although this wasn't completely his alone, it brought him some comfort.

Hermione watched Malfoy storm out of the hall and frowned.

It would be the perfect opportunity to return his book to him, without the gossip Hungary eyes of other people on them.

"Ill be back in a minute" she promised Ron, before dashing out of the hall and following the sounds of Draco's footsteps.

Draco jumped slightly as Hermione rounded the corner of the bookshelf.

He got a hold of himself and smirked, "can't keep away granger?" he drawled.

Hermione ignored him, "I came to return your book Malfoy"

She explained and then added gently, "and to say thank you…….."

Draco stared at her.

Her hair was tumbling down from its once neat bun and her cheeks were flushed from the dancing but none of this took away from the fact that tonight, in the soft glow of the candle light, Hermione Granger looked beautiful.

"Your welcome Hermione" Draco surprised even himself at the gentle tone of his voice.

But it was nothing to the surprise that registered on Hermione's face.

"You called me Hermione……?" she murmured

Draco shrugged but said nothing

Hermione straightened up, tucking her loose curls behind her ears and placed his book on the table top.

"Good night…….Draco" she whispered, and the sound of her voice rang in Draco's ears as he waited till she disappeared from view.

He sighed softly, as he pulled out a letter from the pocket in his robes. It hadn't just been his new found feelings towards a certain Gryffindor that had kept him awake last night…..

He unscrewed the rumpled letter and reread the first sentence;

_Draco,_

_I am writing to inform you that your enrolment into the death eater ranks has been scheduled for a month Thursday._


	8. The Letter

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u all rock soooooooo much!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 8:

_You've been looking everywhere,_

_For someone to understand your hopes and fears._

Four weeks had passed since Halloween and everyone had fallen into a familiar routine.

Hermione felt Ron and her were getting closer since the ball and with Harry spending more and more time with Ginny, she was happy to spend hours alone with Ron, take trips to Hogsmede with him and watch him practice quidditch for the forthcoming match against Slytherin.

Although Ron had made it quite obvious he wanted to be more then just friends, Hermione had a nagging feeling at the back of her mind, as if she had already promised her heart to another, although this, she reasoned, was impossible.

Ron wasn't the only one Hermione had grown closer to however.

She and Draco now spent hours in the library together, revising for their mock newts, which they would be taking just before the Christmas holidays.

Hermione didn't know when they had slipped from hating one another to this fragile kind of friendship, but she didn't resent it at all.

Draco matched her intellectually and in his sense of humour, which Hermione found surprisingly witty, although still sarcastic.

He kept his insults to a minimum, and Hermione understood that he was still a Slytherin and a Malfoy and had to keep up his charade of disgust for muggleborns.

Once their revision had been done for the day, the unlikely pair sat on opposite sides of their table, which seemed to represent the link between their opposite lives and talked.

They grew accustomed to one another's company and were free to do so, away from prying eyes, in their secluded corner of the universe.

Draco listened in fascination as Hermione retold anecdotes from her childhood, which to Draco sounded completely idyllic.

He refused to mention his own childhood, though it was a subject Hermione wasn't scared to probe him on often, where others would have been to afraid.

Draco Malfoy it seemed had finally met his match.

Hermione sighed as she and Draco parted for the day at the bottom of the grand staircase.

She watched him as he headed down towards the dungeons and the Slytherin common room.

Over the last month, Hermione had absorbed many details about Draco, some he had told her; like that his one fear was thunderstorms.

He hadn't expanded to the reason behind his irrational fear and the haunted look in his silver eyes told her that she probably didn't want to know.

Others she had observed for herself.

For instance he ran his hands through his hair when he was frustrated, making him look quite comical with his white blonde locks standing up at all angles.

He couldn't whistle.

She knew this because he glared daggers at anyone caught in the act.

Oh and that was another thing – he hated not being successful at something. It was a shared dislike between the pair.

She could him like a book and something was wrong. She could tell.

It was in the way he talked, smiled, laughed and in the way he walked as if he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulders….

And Hermione realised, with a shudder, that maybe he did.

She pulled a crumpled letter out of her robes and peered at it for what seemed the millionth time since shed stolen it from Draco's bag, the previous day.

A shiver ran up her spine as she read the handwriting of Lucius Malfoy.

Draco was to become a death eater.

The letter had no date, so she didn't know when this enrolment was to take place.

Maybe it already had?

She was suddenly terrified at the thought that she may have been unknowingly spending hours in the company of a death eater, of one of Lord Voldemort's inner circle, of …….

She slapped herself mentally.

This was Draco; she would have known if he was a death eater, she knew everything else about him.

She stuffed the letter back into her pocket and made her way to Gryffindor tower.

It was Thursday tomorrow, he would be in the library in the morning, he always was. She could ask him then.

They had grown used to each others timetable and although they did not arrange to meet, they always did.

Slightly more at ease Hermione entered the tower and slumped onto a couch next to Ron, who was all too happy to see her.

Draco Malfoy glared at his fellow students as he stalked along the corridors towards the library.

Although he seemed to be in control from the outside, inside he was in a constant sate of panic.

He had misplaced his father's letter, and in the wrong hands it could……….well one hated to think……..

Slamming his bag onto the table, Hermione let out a startled scream.

However she calmed down a little when she saw who had disturbed her.

Only a little, mind you, as the expression on Draco's face was enough to leave even the bravest person in a state of constant terror.

"Draco? What's wrong?" Hermione asked gingerly.

Draco seemed to be trying very hard to control his anger as he spoke,

"I have misplaced something of extreme importance, which shall we say could lead to very dangerous circumstances….."

Hermione gulped.

Digging in her pocket she whispered,"you don't mean this do you……..?"

Draco's eyes widen in disbelief.

And then he exploded.

"How dare you go through my things! Do you know how dangerous this could have been if one of your snotty nosed goody two shoes Gryffindorks had gotten hold or this!"

He paused and Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but Draco hadn't finished.

" I don't believe you read my _private_ letter, I can't believe _you_ could be so stupid!" he roared.

Hermione flinched and Draco stopped yelling. He slumped into a chair and groaned.

"Stupid girl, stupid stupid _mudblood_" he spat.

_Mudblood!_

Hermione slammed her fist down on the table.

" Draco Malfoy you are the most insufferable, egotistical and stupidest boy I've _ever _met!" she fumed

Draco glanced up at her, his blood still boiling.

" I only took the letter as I knew something was wrong and I was _worried _about you! Yes _worried_! And I'm glad I did!"

Draco raised an eyebrow at her quizzically

"Because I know you Draco Malfoy! I know you and I know this isn't what you want"

Hermione grabbed the letter and made to rip it in half.

But Draco suddenly had other worries. He jumped up and spun round looking for a clock.

"What time is it?" he yelled at Hermione.

Hermione gaped at him, and he grabbed her watch.

_Eleven am._

"Oh no" Draco groaned, he grabbed Hermione's arm quickly, " Granger this isn't just any old letter, it's a- "

He was drowned out by a sudden rushing sound in Hermione's ears and she suddenly felt an abrupt pull just above her navel……..


	9. Flecks Of Gold

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to all my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u guys rock and make it all worth while!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**OOOH – just to clear some things up – when Hermione grabbed the port key letter, Draco had hold of her arm which means he would have gone with her. **

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 9:

_But I've thought about that for years_

"Ugh!"

Hermione landed on Draco with a thud and a muffled squeal.

She lay there for a minute, catching her breath and accustoming herself to her new surroundings.

The pair had landed on the floor of a large bedroom, just right of king sized four poster bed.

Hermione pulled herself up to a sitting position and took in the room's décor; emerald patterned walls, heavy oak furniture and on the far wall, a variety of broomsticks were suspended, each with a gold plated plaque, determining each model.

"Erm….. Hermione?"

At the sound of Draco's muffled voice, Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and glanced down at the teenage boy.

Automatically she realised that she was still sitting on his legs, preventing him from getting up.

She blushed and moved quickly, standing up, before helping Draco to his feet.

"Where are we?"

She asked, unable to quite the anxious note out of her voice.

Draco brushed the dust from his robes and smirked at her

"Welcome to my bedroom miss granger" he drawled sleazily.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but her look of terror returned to her face as their was a knock on the bedroom door.

"Shit!" Draco swore under his breath

"Draco?"

The unmistakeable voice of Lucius Malfoy, echoed through the door,

"Draco – open this door immediately!" he bellowed

"Two minutes, father" Draco called

He darted over to Hermione and grabbed her hand, pulling her down to the floor.

"Hide under the bed till we're gone, then use the letter to get back to Hogwarts" he hissed quickly.

Hermione shook her head, "no, you can't do this!"

She whispered back, "it's insane"

Draco smiled

"Ill explain when I get back – I have my reasons okay"

He handed her the letter, then straightened up

"Let's just say Snape isn't the only one in his particular position"

Hermione slid under the bed, her confused and curious thoughts overwhelmed by a feeling of complete fear.

Draco walked across his room to the door,

"Hello father"

"Ah Draco, finally"

Hermione shuddered at Lucius's voice.

How could Draco go through with this? She'd seen such a different side to him over the last couple of months; surely he didn't still want to be a death eater?

She fingered the letter in front of her, it would become active again very shortly and she would return to Hogwarts, pretending she knew nothing about Draco's wish to sign his life over to lord Voldemort's service.

_How could he!_

As she lay there fuming, trying to block out the sound of Draco and his father discussing the enrolment as if it were merely a day at the beach, she traced over Draco's last words in her mind.

_Snape isn't the only one in his particular position…._

What on earth did that mean, she thought angrily.

What's Snape got to do with anything? He was a potions teacher, and an insufferable git.

-_Well that's something they share-_

Hermione reasoned in amusement.

And, okay, Snape was part of the order, but it didn't stop him being such an ass-

Hermione stopped all thoughts for a second.

Member of the order…. Wasn't Snape a spy for Dumbledore!

_Oh Draco_, she groaned_, please tell me you're not that stupid…_

Draco slumped, exhausted, on to his bed.

He couldn't remember a time when he had felt so tired, both emotionally and physically.

His arm felt as through it were being severed roughly by a blunt knife.

Draco sat up slightly and pulled up the arm of his robes unwillingly, to look at his poisoned flesh.

The dark mark stood out clearly against the paleness of Draco's skin.

The eyes of the serpent seemed to bare into Draco's own, and he pulled his sleeve down abruptly in disgust.

Slowly he dragged himself off the bed and across to his writing desk.

He needed to inform professor Dumbledore of today's events.

"Ahh!"

He groaned out in frustrated as his pen dropped out of his hand, due to the incessant pain shooting up his arm, making his fingers spasm.

He kicked his desk brutally, releasing is anger.

"Do you want me to write?"

Draco whirled round at the sound of a gentle female voice.

His jaw dropped as his gaze rested on the source of the voice.

Hermione granger was sitting on his bed.

"Hermione!" Draco yelped, "What are you still doing here?"

Hermione fidgeted and moved so she was sitting crossed legged on the bed.

"I know that you're going to be Dumbledore's spy" she looked him defiantly in the eye, daring him to deny it.

Draco groaned, dropping his head into his hands.

"Why couldn't you have figured that out back at Hogwarts granger?" he asked exasperatedly.

Hermione stared hard at the floor.

"Draco, I… I'm worried about you" she murmured,

"I know you don't even think of us as friends, but something in our relationship has changed, and I….. I care about you" she finished quietly

"That's why I stayed, to make sure you were alright"

She chanced a look at Draco, who was staring intently at her.

"And you're obviously not……"

She sighed, uncrossing her legs and walking over to him.

She picked up the pen that lay forgotten on his desk and seated herself next to him.

"What did you want to say to Dumbledore then?" she inquired

Draco didn't answer.

Hermione was sat just centimetres away from him.

He could see every fleck of gold in her eyes and he suddenly realised that her hair wasn't the plain brown he'd always thought, but full of red and chestnut highlights.

As she peered up at him, she seemed to have some sort of hold over him and for a minute all he could see was her.

This girl, who seemed to care and worry about him more then anyone had ever done before.

And he realised that their relationship had changed.

It had merged into an unexplainable friendship and desire to be around each other.

And that scared him.

She so very close…. Maybe too close…

"Draco?"

Hermione's voice hauled him back to reality, and he stood up and moved to the other side of the room.

He had to distance himself from her. She could ruin everything.

"_Dear professor Dumbledore……"_ Draco dictated, and watched as Hermione wrote.


	10. Models and Games

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to all my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u guys rock and make it all worth while!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**OOOH – just to clear some things up – when Hermione grabbed the port key letter, Draco had hold of her arm which means he would have gone with her. **

**Somewhere Only We Know**

Chapter 10:

_I know you think I'm holding you down,_

_And I've fallen by the wayside now,_

_And I don't understand the same things as you,_

_But I do_

"Mr. Malfoy, I must offer you my greatest thanks and respect"

Albus Dumbledore, peered over his half moon spectacles, at the teenage boy seated in front of him.

The headmaster's office had a soothing effect on Draco's worried mind.

It was no wonder that so many of the students here found this office to be a haven in troubled times.

"What you have agreed to do is both very brave and extremely dangerous, but will be a huge asset to the order and I am very grateful for your courage"

Draco let the headmasters words wash over him.

He didn't feel proud at all. More worried and frustrated at what his future held.

Dumbledore spoke again

"Tell me Draco" he asked gently

"Is there anyone who knows about our arrangement, apart from the necessary teaching staff and order members?"

Draco began to shake his head, and then paused.

"Hermione granger does sir" he corrected.

Dumbledore, instead of becoming angry like Draco had expected, smiled warmly.

"Ah, yes, miss granger" he echoed.

He stood up and wandered over to where Fawkes the phoenix was perched.

He stroked the birds head in contemplation.

"I have noticed the effect our young head girl has had on you, Draco" he relieved

Draco went to interrupt the professor, to deny any such effect.

"miss grangers presence in your life has had a good effect on your ideals and morals, but I am wondering whether there may come a time when you might put yourself in a fatal position to ensure her safety……..?"

The old wizard's message was too close to the truth for Draco's liking.

He had often wondered whose life he would put first if it came to it – his or Hermione's.

And he knew that it would always be the latter.

Hermione laughed as Ron tumbled off his broom and waved an angry fist at his sister, who had just knocked him off.

"That'll teach you to show off!" Ginny called, between fits of giggles.

Harry grinned broadly at the sight of a mud covered Ron.

The winter had finally hit Hogwarts and the Gryffindor quidditch team were less then pleased.

The rain had made the ground thick with mud and the howling wind roared in their ears as they tried to fit in one more practice before Saturday's game against Slytherin.

Draco was nervous Hermione knew.

He'd had little time to prepare with everything else that was on his mind recently.

But his team were in good shape and Draco was an excellent flyer.

Hermione had her doubts on a Gryffindor team victory.

Ron brushed himself down and picked up his broom, a scowl still on his face.

He made his way over to Hermione and seated himself next to her.

"I could kill my sister sometimes" he muttered, glaring furiously at Ginny, who was currently chasing Harry round the quidditch pitch attempting to throw mud at him.

Hermione knew he wasn't referring to the recent flying incident, but to the fact that his best friend and his sister were dating.

"If she's happy Ron, you should be too" she smiled, taking his hand in hers.

"And you wish for a better guy then Harry really" she added, watching as Harry swept Ginny into his arms, placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

A swirling feeling of jealousy erupted in the pit of her stomach. How she wanted what her friends had…….

Hermione turned to face Ron, just as he leaned forwards towards her.

Hermione gulped and turned her head slightly so Ron's clumsy kiss just brushed the corner of her mouth, instead of her lips.

She jumped up quickly, breaking the embrace and blushed at the adoring look in Ron's eyes.

"I should get going, I've got a ton of homework to do" she muttered her excuse and began to clamber down the stands hastily.

"Wait!" called Ron, dashing after her

She paused and waited for him to catch up.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmede with me tomorrow before the match?" he asked hopefully.

"I er….. I can't" Hermione said slowly, "I have a meeting with Dumbledore – head girl stuff" she lied quickly.

Rons face fell and Hermione felt a pang of guilt.

She was meeting Draco tomorrow and she had a gift for him.

"Oh ok" Ron said sadly. Then forced a smile back on to his face

"Ill see you at the game then!" he said, before watching her walk away, up the green and into the castle.

Hermione bounded into the library, eager to see Draco.

It was the morning of the long awaited quidditch match of the season and it was the perfect weather for flying; cold with a hint of sunlight peering through the frosty white clouds.

Draco was crouched over a note book, tracing lines from sketches of tiny quidditch players to pencil hoops.

He stabbed at them with his wand, watched as they flew in his designated directions then cursed and ripped the page out of his book, setting it on fire in his frustration.

"Whoa! Calm down!" Hermione said in amusement at the scene shed just witnessed.

Draco looked up and smiled a true smile at her.

He cleared a space for her things on the table and she sat down, piling her many books on to the wooden surface.

"Here, I've got something that might be better then paper" she smiled, handing him a small ornate wooden box.

"I got one like this for Harry last Christmas and he loves it so……"

Draco opened the box curiously, and watched in amazement as a miniature quidditch pitch unfolded in front of him, complete with tiny players and balls.

"Hermione!" Draco whispered in awe, "This is incredible!"

Hermione watched in amusement as the teenage boy directed the players round the hoops and stands.

"I thought it might help" she said, embarrassed at his intense love of her gift.

Draco looked up at her, catching her eye.

He reached across the table as if to take her hand, but as he did so, a shock of electricity bolted down both of their fingertips and they pulled away abruptly.

Hermione blushed a deep puce colour.

"I should go" she muttered, clumsily gathering her books

Draco nodded, not knowing what had just happened.

He watched as she darted out of the library, before turning back to his gift.

When had he and Hermione granger gotten this close? So close they gave each other presents.

Hermione wrapped her heavy black cloak around her more tightly as a gust of freezing December air blew across the quidditch pitch.

She grinned and waved at Harry, Ron and Ginny as they walked out onto the pitch, from the Gryffindor changing rooms.

Harry, who had been appointed quidditch captain, led the gaggle of red and gold clad players, his arm casually slung round Ginny's shoulders.

Ron looked up to catch Hermione's eye and blew her a kiss, making her blush. Parvati and lavender cooed at Ron's romantic gesture, but Hermione brushed it off hastily.

Suddenly, Hermione's attention was caught by a flash of green and silver at the other end of the pitch.

She couldn't help smiling as Draco swaggered onto the pitch arrogantly.

His team mates followed in a similar fashion but none could quite match Draco's casual attitude, which Hermione knew to be pretence – he was secretly terrified.

The stands fell to a deathly silence as madam hooch asked the captains to shake hands.

The potter / Malfoy rivalry was legendry and they were expecting a show.

However, they were disappointed as Draco gladly shook Harry's hand and even wished him good luck.

Only Hermione knew why.

Draco caught her eye and winked. Hermione suppressed a smile.

Draco knew how she detested his and Harry's rivalry and how desperate she was for them to get along.

The teams mounted their brooms and on the whistle, madam hooch released the balls.

The snitch disappeared almost immediately and Hermione watched as Draco and Harry flew higher and higher to gain a full view of the pitch.

Hermione unwillingly dragged her attention away from the two seekers, as Ron saved a Slytherin goal and whooped loudly.

He waved at her excitedly and she returned the gesture half heartedly.

Her eyes flitted back to Draco again and was startled to see his eyes on her, a frown forming on his pale features.

She smiled tentatively up at him, but stopped as his eyes narrowed, this time at Ron.

_Oh no_, Hermione thought_, he thinks Ron and I are an item._

She couldn't say why this bothered her so much……

She lost interest in the game and kept her eyes on Draco, who was now ignoring her, but glaring at Ron.

She jumped abruptly as Harry suddenly shot downwards. He had seen the snitch!

Draco dived after him and gained on him quickly.

Harry was on a faster broom, but Draco's lean, aero dynamic flying style, meant he was much faster then Harry and he over took him, clasping his fingers round the tiny fluttering snitch, seconds later.

Harry pulled out of the dive, scowling furiously; as he watched the Slytherin's erupt with cheers and applause.

The Gryffindor team landed dispiritedly as the Slytherin team did a lap of victory round the stands, led by Draco – the snitch still fluttering in his hand.

Hermione dashed down the stands and out onto the field to consol her house's team.

_Where is Ron,_ she wondered, for a second.

Her answer came sooner then she imagined though, as angry yells could be heard from high above.

Ron was shooting curses left and right at Draco, who was doing his best to dodge them, unable to hold onto the snitch and his broom, whilst finding his wand.

Hermione watched in slow motion as Draco let go of his broom for a second to grab his wand, and as he did so, one of Rons spells hit him head on.

Hermione's ears filled with the roar of the crowd as Draco fell and hit the ground, from forty feet up, with a sickening crack.

Without thinking, she dashed across the pitch, and knelt down at Draco's side.

His face was a deathly white colour and his leg and right arm lay at odd angles to his body.

Hermione caught a glimpse of a dark patch on his arm, from under his robes and hastily pulled the sleeve of his quidditch robes down.

_That was a secret she was sure Draco wanted to remain unknown to his fellow students._

She stepped back as Dumbledore and Snape arrived on the scene and levitated Draco's body towards the hospital wing.

Hermione was surprised to find her eyes damp with worried tears and she wiped them slyly away before returning to the Gryffindor team, where professor McGonagall was screaming at Ron.

"How could you be so stupid Ronald Weasley!" she yelled,

"Starting a fight at forty feet! Starting a fight at all!"

Hermione sent Ron a confused look, but he didn't return it. He simply shrugged it off.

_What had Draco said to him_, Hermione wondered.


	11. I Cant Do That To Them!

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY! **

**And a huge hug goes out to all my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u guys rock and make it all worth while!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**OOOH – just to clear some things up – when Hermione grabbed the port key letter, Draco had hold of her arm which means he would have gone with her. **

**

* * *

**

Somewhere Only We Know

* * *

Chapter 11:

* * *

_I know you think im holding you down,_

_And ive fallen by the wayside now,_

_And i dont understand the same things as you,_

_But i do._

* * *

Hermione couldn't sleep.

She was lost in a whirlpool of confusing thoughts as she lay restlessly in her four poster bed, in the seventh year girl's dormitory.

What had Draco said to Ron to make him behave so violently?

Ron had barely spoken to her since the quidditch match and Hermione was ridden with guilt when she realised that she didn't miss his constant company as much as she missed Draco's, who was still in the hospital wing.

Draco had suffered serious injuries from his fall; a broken leg, a fractured wand arm, several nasty knocks to the head and some incredibly deep wounds.

However, Madam Pomfrey could do nothing to heal these injuries whilst Draco was still unconscious.

It was the way of magical healing.

So she had resorted to muggle methods, casts and bandages to heal his broken limbs, before they healed incorrectly.

Hermione hadn't been to the hospital wing to see Draco.

It was still full of Slytherin's, worried girls, whom Hermione suspected were either casual lovers or lovesick females, desperate for Draco's affection.

But worst of all, seated constantly in the hospital wing, was Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione suspected that it was not worry for his son's health that summoned Mr. Malfoy to his son's side, but more worry that there would be no one to inherit the Malfoy name and its diabolical family "business".

Madam Pomfrey had chosen to ignore the dark mark that stood out so clearly on Draco's fractured arm.

"Ugh!"

Hermione groaned as she slammed her history of magic text book down on the table in the library, where shed been trying to research her project which was due in the following day.

Something felt different.

Hermione scowled as she searched the reason for the change in atmosphere.

Draco?

She sighed.

It jus wasn't the same without him.

She was reluctant to say it but she missed him.

_A lot._

There was no one to laugh with, talk to about her hopes and fears, no one……..

Oh, she still had Harry and Ron and her other friends, but it was different with Draco.

They had a connection and she couldn't stand not being with him.

_Hang on Hermione……… _she thought abruptly

_It sounds like you're in love with him or something!_

She laughed nervously to herself.

That was ridiculous.

They were friends, sure, but that was all.

She loved Ron surely.

Sweet, dependable Ron, who was always there_……… _

_Who never made her feel quite the way that Draco did, like she could lose control at any second………_

Hermione smacked her head down on the table and groaned again.

She had to see Draco.

It was the only way of knowing how she felt and putting these silly thoughts to rest.

* * *

"Harry?" 

Hermione peered through the curtains of Harry's four poster bed in the boy's dormitory.

Slowly she shook him,

" Harry!" she hissed a little louder.

The black haired boy bolted upright in shock, crying out in terror.

"Shhhh" Hermione soothed desperately.

Harry shoved his glasses on his nose and groaned as he saw his best friend.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack Mione!" he glared

Hermione gave him an apologetic look.

"Listen, can I borrow your invisibility cloak Harry?" she asked quickly.

Harry stared at her unsurely, but decided he didn't want to know her motives for this evening and merely nodded.

Hermione kissed him quickly on the cheek and grabbing the cloak from his trunk, dashed back down the stairs of the boy's dormitory and out of the portrait hole.

* * *

"Lumos" 

Hermione tiptoed down the dark looming corridor.

She hated walking through the school at night; it was terrifying, especially if you rounded a corner to come face to face with a suit of armour or the such like.

She reached the door of the hospital wing and pushed open the heavy wooden door, praying that no sound would be uttered.

Draco was the only patient and Hermione held her breath as she approached his bed.

He laid fast asleep, his pale blonde hair falling softly across his forehead, his arm and face covered in bandages.

It was all Hermione could do not to throw her arms around him and never let go.

These feelings were so terribly unexpected.

"Hermione I know I'm good looking, but are you going to stare at me all night"

Hermione jumped at the sound of Draco's familiar drawl.

"You're awake?" she whispered.

Draco pulled himself in to a sitting position, wincing as a bolt of pain shot through his arm.

He raised an eyebrow at the surprised looking girl at his bedside.

"Tell me; is there a reason for your night time wanderings? Or is it a usual habit of yours?" he mocked, knowing full well that she was risking a lot by coming to see him.

Hermione blushed.

"Ok ok ok ok …….." she muttered under her breath, in an attempt to calm herself down.

Draco stared at her oddly.

Hermione turned away from him as she sought the courage to tell him about her feelings for him.

"Hermione?" Draco laid a hand on her shoulder, turning her round to face him.

"I can't stop thinking about you Draco………. I know that it's stupid and impossible, but I can't stand not being with you and i don't know what to do. I've never felt this way before" she blurted out, in desperation.

Draco's jaw dropped.

"But I thought you were with weasel?" he questioned, "_I saw you_………at the match?"

Hermione sighed heavily

"Sometimes I think it _might_ work out with Ron, _he's_ certainly in that place" she explained

She raised her eyes so they looked straight into Draco's puzzled ones.

"Then I see you and forget about everything and everyone else" she confessed.

Draco's expression softened a little.

Hermione paused, and then said mockingly.

"Don't get me wrong, I mean I really hate you for the last six years, for being a Malfoy, for your unwavering arrogance and supposed superiority"

She grinned at Draco's outraged expression.

"But I can't help feeling that I'm wrong and that I may be falling for you…….." she whispered.

Draco smirked,

"Did you just admit that you were wrong? Miss know-it-all granger actually admitted she was wrong!" he mocked playfully.

Hermione swiped at him in a joke fashion.

She stopped as Draco grabbed her hand pulling her towards him.

"I was wrong too" he whispered, "and I do believe that the last few months have been the only time I've ever felt so happy with someone"

He blushed, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"And you know what?"

Hermione shook her head

"I'm _so _glad I stole your table" Draco grinned, tilting his head up towards hers.

"Draco!"

Hermione and Draco jumped simultaneously as a familiar and chilling voice was heard from outside the hospital wing.

Hermione, recognizing the voice, darted behind the large medicine cabinet that stood on the far side of the room.

Lucius Malfoy strode into the room, as Draco feigned waking up.

"Father!" he exclaimed in pretence surprise, "to what do I owe this _pleasure_"

"I have had word that you have been consorting with…."

Malfoy senior lowered his voice

"A _mudblood_!" he hissed

Hermione knew instantly that he was referring to herself and that someone must have seen them working together in the library.

Draco frowned at his father,

"What? Mudblood granger, potters friend?" he asked scathingly

"I was merely asked by professor Snape to provide her with my excellent potions notes, as it appears that mudbloods are ill equip to deal with magic of this advanced standard" he stated in his trademark drawl.

"Well I do hope that is all Draco"

Lucius seemed half heartedly satisfied with his sons answer.

"I shall tell Snape that I do not want my son to be in the company of that sort of scum, even if it is just to drop off potions notes. You have a role in this society and fraternising with mud bloods it is not! And if i ever hear of this again, im afraid your little_ friend_ may not live to see the next day!"

Hermione watched as Mr. Malfoy stormed out of the ward and hen silently crept out of her hiding place.

Flashing Draco a flirtatious smile, she perched on the edge of his bed

"Where were we?" she whispered.

Draco however turned away from her and Hermione frowned in confusion.

"Granger, we can't, you heard my father. It's not my place to associate with you and your friends" he muttered cruelly.

Hermione swallowed the anger boiling within her and voice quivering replied,

"You can't mean that. I know you Draco, you don't believe that! I know you don't!"

Draco looked at the girl in front of him.

She was no longer the strong, challenging woman whom he knew, but a fragile, broken little girl and his heart ached with guilt.

And he _hated_ it.

How she could make him feel so much, more then he'd ever felt before.

"I cannot do my job, if you're going to jeopardise it" he said evenly, "and you are" he added quickly before she could open her mouth.

" If I was in a position where I had to chose between my life, and therefore keeping my position as Dumbledore's spy and the rest of this castle safe, and your life, I would always _always _choose you" he whispered furiously.

"And I can't do that to everyone in this castle, all these students that I see everyday, my friends, your friends, their family's…….. I swore to Dumbledore that if I took up his offer as being a double agent then I wouldn't let anything threaten it and the people I would be protecting. And if losing you is what it takes to save everyone else I have to do it"

He glanced at Hermione whose face was wet with tears.

"God I don't want to, I want you but I can't have you……. "He trailed off miserably.

"Now get lost granger" he snarled half-heartedly, before turning over and shutting his eyes.

Hermione nodded and swiftly ran from the room, her sobs echoing off the walls.

Draco lay there in the dark and for the first time in his life, he didn't try to stop the tears.

**

* * *

Hey guys – firstly I'm sorry! This was way to much fluff. But I wanted a chapter that changed their relationship and so I had Draco and Hermione admit their feelings…………… then tore them apart! Lol – I'm a cow! **

**Now if your thinking it was a bit fast to admit their feelings, I must remind you that this is based on a real story – not the magic or anything but the table part lol - and there comes a point in a building friendship/relationship where you just suddenly can't suppress it anymore and you just randomly blurt out your feelings for the other person – not really the best idea……. but oh well……… **


	12. So Am I

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to all my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u guys rock and make it all worth while!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**OOOH – just to clear some things up – when Hermione grabbed the port key letter, Draco had hold of her arm which means he would have gone with her. **

**

* * *

Somewhere Only We Know **

* * *

Chapter 12: _

* * *

Will I ever see you again? _

_And lie in your heart of hearts?_

* * *

Winter was upon Hogwarts. 

There was now a constant chill in the air and the grounds of the castle were coated in a thick, creamy layer of snow.

The quidditch pitch looked like a cake, Hermione thought whimsically, as she watched the Gryffindor's practice for their fourth coming match against Hufflepuff.

The snow was a soft layer of icing and the stands stood out like candles.

She was pulled abruptly from her daydreams by an unexpected figure tapping her on the shoulder.

"Ron…." She cried in surprise.

The red head had been avoiding her from the last match until now.

She eyed him warily as he seated himself down next to her and removed his quidditch gloves.

"Ron, I don't know what Dr- Malfoy said to you but……."

Ron cut her off briskly,

"it doesn't matter, we both said some things that provoked each other and I did something I shouldn't have done" he stated.

Hermione was silent – she would never know what Draco had said to Ron she supposed…….. Did it even matter?

"So…?"

Hermione peered up at Ron questioningly

Ron smiled down at her.

"Hermione I have these feelings for you, but I know that you don't share them"

Hermione opened her mouth, but Ron held up is hand to stop her.

"I miss you as a friend Hermione and if that means that we do not have a romantic relationship, so be it" he finished.

Hermione was stunned at his maturity for a second, then reached up and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry" she murmured into his chest and Ron hugged her tighter.

"Don't be" he replied.

* * *

"Oi Hermione!" 

The seventeen year old girl woke with a start and wearily pulled herself out from under the delightfully warm covers of her four poster.

She peered round the door to the seventh year girl dormitory to find Harry and Ron yelling up the staircase, their arms full of brightly wrapped presents.

"Its CHRISTMAS!" yelled Ron gleefully.

Hermione grinned, and dashed back to her bed and pulled out her gifts for Ron, Harry and Ginny.

She glanced over at lavender and Parvati who were still fast asleep and gently placed her gifts for them at the base of their beds with their other presents.

She looked down at her chest and her eyes fell on one last present, wrapped in emerald paper.

_Draco's gift_.

She'd bought it ages ago and it was really just a joke present.

A reserved sign shed gotten from a restaurant, used to reserve tables.

She knew he'd get it immediately and blinked back the tears as she closed the lid of her chest.

She hadn't spoken to Draco for over a month now and missed him terribly.

She could recall every part of their last meeting.

The way he'd confessed to the idea that he would die for her if he had to, that she made to feel things he'd never felt before, how they'd nearly kissed…..

"Hermione!"

Ron's voice boomed up the stairs again, shaking Hermione from these upsetting thoughts.

"I'm coming!" she called as she gathered up their gifts and made her way downstairs.

"So then I said _yeah right – only if you came from Durmstrang_!"

Harry and Ron collapsed with laughter as Seamus finished recounting his hilarious exchange with a pretentious Slytherin sixth year.

Hermione looked at Ginny and rolled her eyes, making the younger girl giggle.

"Who's for breakfast then?" asked Harry once he'd stopped laughing.

A cry of agreement went up from the girls, but Ron stopped them suddenly,

"Hang on guys – there's one more present for Hermione"

Hermione stopped curiously.

"but I have my presents from you guys" she confirmed, indicating to the collection of gifts by the fireplace, that included books, a new scarf, chocolate and a beauty selection basket from Ginny – who seemed determined to make over Hermione.

She was still unwilling however.

The delicate charm bracelet Ron had given her, bounced gleefully on her slim wrist as she pointed.

"It says, to Hermione, with regret" Ron read bewilderedly.

"With regret?" exclaimed Ginny

"C'mon guys" Harry pushed Ron and Ginny towards the portrait hole,

"well catch you up" he promised the two red heads, who nodded and left.

Harry approached the brown haired girl cautiously.

"What's his name?" he whispered.

Hermione jumped slightly, before turning to Harry in surprise.

"Who?" she asked in pretence ignorance.

Harry smiled at her knowingly, "this guy who obviously regrets letting you go, who has made you so unhappy lately", He probed.

Hermione sighed.

"Believe me you don't want to know" she muttered

"I think I already do" Harry replied and Hermione looked up at him questioningly.

"I came to look for you in the library one day" Harry explained and Hermione nodded.

"Its alright you know" the raven haired boy soothed her as her lip began to tremble.

He sat placed his arms around her and held her to him, rocking her back and fourth.

"Do you want to open it?" he gestured towards the beautifully wrapped gift, which lay forgotten on the table.

Hermione nodded slightly then slowly began to remove the satin like fabric that hid the gift inside.

"Oh my god!" she cried softly.

The fabric fell aside to reveal a tiny stack of books; each one bound daintily with a different colour satin and closed with an impossibly elaborate golden clasp.

_

* * *

Dear Hermione, _

_I found these when I was eight years old. _

_They were my great grandmother's most prized possession and I hold them very close. _

_They contain the most spectacular faerie enchantments and are completely priceless._

_I felt they should belong to someone who would treasure them and you were the only name on the list._

_I hope you like them,_

_D.M_

_P.S I am so sorry for everything but you understand why it has to be like this don't you?_

* * *

Hermione gaped at the letter in her hands and then at the books. 

There were eight in total and they shimmered in the sunlight that flooded the common room.

"It sounds like he's truly sorry" said Harry and Hermione nodded.

"So am I" she whispered.

* * *

The rest of the day passed joyfully.

The Gryffindor's headed back to the common room to play a giant game of exploding snap after breakfast and Hermione began to feel like her normal self again, as she laughed along with her fellow housemates as Rons eyebrows were burnt off, as the cards exploded.

She looked up once to find her eyes settle on Harry and Ginny; who were cuddled up to one another on the squashy armchair by the fireside.

Harry was read a book about quidditch Ginny had bought him, whilst Ginny lay contentedly, eyes closed and head on her boyfriends lap.

Hermione smiled hollowly at the pair.

How she envied them, especially today.

They were so happy, so wrapped up in each other, totally absorbed in their own little world.

Harry looked up for a second and caught her eye.

She smiled as he blew her a kiss and then they both returned to their previous activities.

* * *

Harry potter smiled down at the sleeping girl in his arms and felt a surge of happiness in his chest.

How lucky he was.

He looked up and caught Hermione's wistful gaze and smiling he blew her a chaste kiss and grinned as she smiled.

How dare that ferret destroy his best friend's happiness and love of life so easily?

Hermione had lost her energy and the sparkle in her eyes the last month or so and now he knew why.

Harry sighed and returned to his book.

He would have to sort this out he decided.


	13. Thunder And Lightening

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!**

**And a huge hug goes out to all my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u guys rock and make it all worth while!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

**OOOH – just to clear some things up – when Hermione grabbed the port key letter, Draco had hold of her arm which means he would have gone with her. **

**

* * *

Somewhere Only We Know **

* * *

Chapter 13: _

* * *

Though she's far away  
Even though you have been wrong before  
she'll hear now you  
you know she will  
but you don't know how _

_And I don't know why you feel so bad  
where is the life you once had?_

* * *

Draco Malfoy strode through the hallways of the Hogwarts castle. 

He was late for potions and yet he just didn't care.

He couldn't get the image of Hermione's smiling face out of his mind.

They way she'd been laughing and joking with her housemates at the Christmas feast.

Didn't she care at all that they'd not spoken for over a month.

Every time he'd seen her she seemed to be smiling, happy.

Draco knew he was being irrational.

It's not like they had been dating or anything.

All they'd had was a spark of a friendship, ignited by a chance circumstance and a weakness of minds.

_Nothing at all_.

But……..

Draco thought back to the night in the hospital wing, where he'd admitted to the selfish thought that he would give up every other student's well being to be with Hermione, if he had the chance to choose.

He had demanded that she shouldn't put him in that position and she had agreed and fled.

He scowled as he recalled how he'd nearly destroyed the lives of his fellow students, Dumbledore's trust in him and how he'd nearly kissed her.

He had been so close to giving into his heart, shed been so very close.

Not just physically, but emotionally.

It was an idea that had scared him once, but now he had become so comfortable with the idea of letting this girl into his life.

How ironic it was that at the same time he'd realised this, he'd had to let her go.

"Move"

Draco spat at a couple of younger students as they dared to cross his path.

Draco banged open the door of the potions lab and threw himself angrily into his seat at the back.

Professor Snape chose not to comment on his preoccupied students lateness or attitude.

He knew how difficult this was for him.

* * *

"_You have to understand how impossible this is" Severus explained the situation earnestly to the pretty witch in front of him._

_She narrowed her eyes._

"_Of course I understand Sev, I just don't get why I can't help" she replied, "I'm part of this now, I can help you"_

_The black haired man shook his head, "no, this is too dangerous; I'm doing this to keep you and our friends safe. I'm willing to die to do that" he pleaded._

_His companion shook her head, "don't you understand I feel the same. I would die for you also Sev, please……."_

* * *

Snape sighed. He hadn't been able to distance himself from her. 

Two months later lord Voldemort had murdered her.

His respect for Draco strength of will was off the scale.

* * *

Hermione glanced up as Draco slammed his way into the potions lab. 

He looked so tired and dejected and all she wanted to do was throw her arms round him and comfort him, but she couldn't.

He barely acknowledged her anymore and she hadn't been able to return to the table in the library since that night in the hospital wing.

She sighed and felt the tears building up in her eyes again.

Harry caught her eye and smiled encouragingly before turning to glare at Malfoy.

He knew he'd said that it sounded like Malfoy was sorry but this had gone too far - that ferret was going to pay for this.

* * *

"Oi, Malfoy!" 

Draco turned to see who was yelling his name and found himself looking directly at Harry potter.

A very pissed off looking Harry potter.

The students milling around in the corridor around them paused suddenly as the two rivals faced each other.

Harry glanced around at the curious faces of the other students, all eager for a fight to occur and frowned.

"Let's take a walk Malfoy" Harry commanded, beckoning the blonde boy to follow him.

Draco sighed.

_Bloody Gryffindor's._

* * *

"What do you want pot-"Draco started as they finally stopped walking, in a clearance a little way from the lake. 

He was abruptly and painfully cut off as Harry's fist made contact with his jaw.

"Ahh! Fuck me potter! What was that for!" Draco bellowed in agony.

Harry glared,

"how could you do this to Hermione?" he shouted

"How dare you mess her around, toy with her? You know how naïve she is, how much she wants to see the good in everybody. And yet you still auditioned her for a part in your sick little play"

He stopped to take a breath and Draco tried to speak again.

This however just resulted in another punch to the face – this time his left eye.

"Bloody hell potter – STOP IT!" he cried clutching his eye, whilst trying to stem the bleeding from his lip.

"What right do you have to make her miserable?" he demanded

Draco gaped at him,

"Miserable? She's not miserable! Every time I see her she's got a smile on her face!" he yelled.

Harry sneered,

"It's called a façade ferret boy!" he yelled back, then seemed to calm down a little.

"I think you should make her part of your life again" Harry stated

"I can't" Draco replied flatly

"Cant or wont? Afraid your reputation will be ruined for talking to a muggleborn! Is that all you care about! Perhaps you should of thought of that before you messed her arou-"

This time it was Draco who threw the punch.

In no time at all a full scale punching match had broken out.

"I did not mess her around potter! And I can't make her part of my life again because that would mean risking everyone in this castles safety for my own selfishness" Draco choked.

He rolled off the suddenly enlightened raven haired boy and lay flat on his back, his body aching with pain.

"So don't you dare tell me that I messed her around, that I'm not worthy of being in her company, because I would do anything for her……." He trailed off

Harry looked over at the distraught looking Slytherin.

"Do you love her?" he asked quietly

"Yes"

* * *

Draco sat in his chair by the fireside of the Slytherin common room, wincing occasionally as pansy cleaned his wounds. 

"What the hell happened Drakie?" she asked as she looked up at him adoringly.

Draco ignored her and continued to collect his thoughts.

Did he just tell potter he was in love with Hermione! _Stupid idiot,_ he scolded himself mentally.

"Ouch!" he yelped as pansy cleaned his bloody lip with a piece of cotton wool.

"Thanks but ill do the rest myself" he muttered, standing up and heading up to his dormitory.

* * *

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. 

Potter had done a pretty good job, he frowned.

He ransacked his robes for his wand and began the slow process of concealing his bruises.

Outside, the weather reflected his mood. A thunderstorm was building. Draco detested thunderstorms – they bought back memories he'd rather forget.

* * *

Hermione lay awake in her bed. 

The thunder and lightening flashed outside her window and she found it impossible to doze off.

Hesitantly she crept out of her bed and tiptoed across the landing and down into the common room.

As she was awake she might as well catch up on some reading.

She crossed the common room to the table where shed left her book on medieval herbology – the subject of their herbology test the next week, only to find it gone and a note from Neville stuck on the table in the place where it would have been.

_

* * *

Hermione, _

_Saw this book and realised it was due back today. Am going to the library anyway so will return it for you so you don't get fined._

_Neville_

* * *

Hermione groaned. 

Damn Neville she thought then slapped herself mentally.

He was ,after all, just being helpful and thoughtful.

Well then shed just have to go to the library and retrieve it she decided.

Its wasn't like she had anything else to do.

Flinging Harry's cloak over her head – she hadn't yet returned it and Harry hadn't asked- she clambered through the portrait hole and crept through the corridors towards the library.

* * *

"Mediocre mistakes……… medieval herbs……" 

Hermione scanned the shelves for her desired book

"Ah ha! Medieval herbology!"

She pulled the book down and subconsciously made her way to her usual table in the back corner of the library.

She removed the invisibility cloak and opened the heavy volume at the first chapter.

* * *

By the eighth chapter, Hermione was growing tired.

Yawning she made to close the book, and as she became aware of her surroundings again she realised that the storm outside had gotten progressively worse.

Feeling a sense of panic flood over her se hurriedly slammed shut the book and grabbed the cloak.

She turned back to leave and clapped eyes on a darkened figure standing directly in front of her.

Hermione let out a shrill scream and felt a hand being clapped over her mouth.

"Hermione! Shhhh….. – it's Draco"

Hermione stopped screaming and stared up wildly at the boy in front of her.

"Lumos" he muttered and Draco's handsome features were flooded with the wand light.

"Draco! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Hermione spluttered.

Her anger turned to concern as a bolt of lightening lit up the library for a second.

"Are you ok? The storm….." she started

Draco nodded briskly, "I'm ok – I thought I might find you here that's all"

Hermione nodded and smiled slightly, then stopped.

"Well I guess ill head off back to bed………" she murmured

She collected her belongings and made to walk past him.

"Hermione, don't go" Draco whispered

She looked up at him and smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere" she whispered, letting the cloak and book fall to the ground, as Draco tilted her chin upwards and gently brushed her lips with his.

* * *

Hermione felt as if she might cry with happiness as she kissed him back and Draco deepened the kiss.

* * *

When Draco eventually broke the kiss, they stood there, Hermione leaning against Draco's torso.

Draco stared down at the fragile girl in his arms.

_How could he have ever let her go?_


	14. Happiness Rules All

**Somewhere Only We Know**

**Disclaimer: (Sobbing) I don't own the characters or places in the Harry potter universe. (Now hysterical) I wish I did! I wanna be J.K.Rowling! It's not fair!**

**I also do not own any of the lyrics used in this story.**

**Summary: Mainly DM/HG with a splash of HP/GW and a dribble of RW/OC**

**Everyone has somewhere where they feel safest. Their own nook of space and privacy. What happens when someone unexpected steals it? **

**Draco Malfoy has stolen Hermione grangers table and she's not going to give it up without a fight. However when you get used to having someone around it's so very hard to let them go…….**

**A/N: Hey everyone! Okay this is my second attempt at a fanfic woooooo! I'm excited! My first one went okay but was a lil cliché so I've got an original plot this time and it's based on a true life story which id uber cool! So ENJOY!!!!**

**And a huge hug goes out to all my wonderful reviewers: LuvDramione, lilmissgullible (thanks also for your comments on Draco's character – it was really helpful for this chapter),**

**Juuu Radcliffe, Golden Angel71, weasleytwinsaresexy (damn right lol) ca803, pobrediabla, Mrs. PotterWeasley and SugarHighGemini – u guys rock and make it all worth while!**

**Lilmissgullible: yes Harry's scar hurting is highly significant but you shall have to wait and see lol!**

**Pobrediabla: No Draco isn't head boy lol although Hermione is head girl. Draco would make such a terrible head boy don't ya think lol. Bless his little death eater socks.**

**Warrior of the shadow: don't be so sure…….lol – keep reading!**

**To everyone else reading my fic plz review it means so much to me and makes me update faster! YEY!**

**P.S: I have extended the lyrics used from just the one song by Keane to the whole album because hey that song is short! Lol**

* * *

Chapter 14: Happiness Rules All

* * *

Ron and Harry looked at each other in what was firstly curiosity, then confusion, then complete disbelief. 

Hermione was …………happy.

For the first time in the last couple of months their best friend was smiling. They watched her as she bounced into the great hall for breakfast and beamed across the table at them before devouring two chocolate croissants.

Hermione never ate chocolate croissants. She said they were bad for the teeth. Well her parents were dentists after all.

"So" Harry began, trying his best to sound as neutral as possible, "how are you this morning? Sleep ok through the thunderstorm?"

Hermione smiled to herself.

"Yep!" she replied happily, "last night was great"

Ron and Harry exchanged quizzical looks again. Harry shrugged and began to eat, but Ron kept peering at Hermione curiously and noticed the heavy bags under her eyes. Maybe she hadn't slept so well last night, but why was she so happy? She was usually in the foulest of moods when she didn't get at least eight hours sleep.

"Right guys, im off" Ron finished his toast and jumped up, "I gotta grab my books before potions – forgot them this morning" he explained.

Harry shook his head whilst Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hermione please don't lecture me on the merits of getting my books together the night before please!" groaned Ron, as he caught her expression of annoyance.

"I wasn't going to – just don't be late to potions cause you wont get time to practice quidditch if you get detention" she replied smiling.

Ron gaped at her. Since when had Hermione ever cared if he had enough time to practice!

He was still shaking his head in disbelief as he left the hall.

Harry spun round to talk to Hermione.

"I take it you and Draco made up then?" he grinned, "come to his senses at last?"

Hermione's head snapped up from her goblet of juice.

"Ssssshhh Harry!" she hissed, "Anyway how did you know about his change of heart!" she frowned

Harry coughed guiltily, "I may have jogged his realisation of his feelings just a little bit" he admitted

Hermione opened her mouth to inquire how exactly he'd achieved this, when she noticed a badly concealed bruise on her friends left cheek.

"Harry, please tell me you didn't…….."

Hermione was however distracted slightly by the sight of Draco entering the hall, closely followed by his fan club of Crabbe, Goyle and pansy Parkinson.

Although he was quite a distance from where she was sat, Hermione could make out a few purpley/ bluish areas on Draco's pale skin.

"Harry" Hermione started, her voice taking on a warning tone.

Harry glanced up at her meekly.

"He said he loved you" he attempted to stem his friend's anger with the only ammo he had left in his possession.

Hermione stared at him

"What?!" she gasped and Harry nodded

Hermione digested this new and profound information silently for a while, until a certain blonde haired Slytherin caught her eye and winked. Hermione blushed and smiled back.

It wasn't impossible she guessed.

* * *

"Hey" 

Hermione jumped slightly as she felt a pair of strong arms wrap themselves round her waist and the sound of the greeting in her ear.

Smiling she spun round in the arms of her greeter.

"Hi Draco" she replied as he kissed her softly.

She deepened the kiss, and then pulled away suddenly.

Draco frowned at her confused.

"What's wrong? Are you okay with this still?" he asked quickly, a hurt undertone to his voice.

Hermione looked up at him in surprise then smiled

"Of course im still okay with this! Don't ever think this isn't what I want" she exclaimed.

"But……?" Draco prompted her

Hermione looked around nervously.

"But, its just were in the middle of the potions corridor and anyone could see us" she whispered.

Hermione continued, hushing Draco.

"I just don't think people should know about us – especially not your father" she added as an afterthought.

Draco nodded, "I know – I thought about this a lot last night, after we left the library" he admitted.

"I just didn't want to say that we ought to keep this quiet in case you thought I didn't really want to be with you or something…."

Hermione laughed, "I got the impression of quite the opposite last night"

Draco blushed. Hermione didn't think shed ever seen Draco embarrassed before and found it a comfort that he was in fact the person she'd spent so much time with in the library and not the persona that stormed the hallways of the castle.

The sound of voices brought a halt to their conversation. Their classmates were arriving. Draco placed a final chaste kiss on Hermione's lips and then moved away down the corridor into the shadows, arranging a convincing glare on his features.

Hermione smiled to herself. He seemed to have perfected the art of pretence magnificently.

She herself braced herself for Harry's smug comments and expression; however she really didn't care what he thought. She was happy.

As the Slytherin's and Gryffindor's pushed their way into the potions lab, Hermione felt a slip of parchment being pushed into her hand. She looked around to find no one she knew standing near by and shrugged as she made her way to her seat between Ron and Harry.

Slyly she unfolded the note under her desk and smiled as she read the contents.

_Im not entirely sure we finished our chat just now, perhaps we should resume it in the usual place, say around seven thirty?_

_D.M_

Hermione shoved the note into her bag and began a marathon note taking session.

* * *

Parvati and lavender sat on their beds staring in bewilderment at the sight that had greeted them as they'd entered the dorm ten minutes earlier. 

A frantic Hermione granger was attempting to cover the dormitory with the contents of her wardrobe by the looks of things.

Parvati couldn't take it any longer.

"Hermione what the hell are you doing!" she screeched, bringing Hermione to a standstill and causing lavender to fall off the bed in surprise.

"Sorry Lav" Parvati chuckled as she watched her friend fight with the sheets that had fallen on top of her.

Hermione took a deep breath.

"I never thought I'd say this but I need your help" she sighed.

"This is ridiculous!" Hermione cried in frustration as she fell over for the fifth time.

Parvati and lavender had her wearing heels. Heels! However they had calmed her frizzy hair down a lot.

She kicked them off and slipped on a pair of pale green flats.

"You know what guys, I think ill just go like this" she said indicating to her jeans and green shirt.

Lavender pouted, "Well at least try not to be a complete prude" she said tartly, pointing to the buttons of Hermione's top which were done up. Hermione rolled her eyes and unbuttoned several.

"I don't want to give him the wrong impression" wailed Hermione

"Yes you do" laughed the two girls, "always always give the wrong impression"

Good god sighed Hermione did they have any morals!?

* * *

"Hey" Draco's looked up at the sound of Hermione's greeting and grinned. He jumped up pulling her towards him and kissed her. 

"You look different…" he pondered out loud. Hermione groaned.

"I asked lavender and Parvati for their advice and they attacked!" she explained.

"Why did you want to look different?" asked Draco and Hermione shrugged.

Draco re-buttoned a couple of the buttons on her shirt and ran a hand through her hair, making it slightly wilder.

"Ah now that's the granger I know!" he grinned and Hermione laughed.

"Im just glad that your not the Draco Malfoy I know" she replied.

Draco sneered, "oh really granger" he drawled and Hermione rolled her eyes.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since the night of the storm and it finally seemed that spring was tiptoeing delicately to the Hogwarts castle. 

Hermione granger was currently lounging contentedly against a tree growing beside the great lake. Propped up against her knees was a heavy and incredibly boring book entitled 127 charms for the modern witches household, in which Hermione seemed to be making constant notes and analysis's in.

The seventeen year old girl was not alone however. Peering intently at a brand new quidditch magazine sat her two best friends.

"Mione, why exactly are you reading that book?!" asked Ron in disbelief, glancing briefly up from an interview with the young keeper of the Chudley canons.

Hermione glared "its fascinating ill have you know Ronald!" she declared superiorly.

Ron shook his head and turned back to his article, making Harry emit a snort of amusement.

Hermione grinned inwardly and concentrated once again on the open page of her reading material.

_Id love to come for the summer_

Hermione grinned at the now dissolving sentence on the small slip of enchanted parchment that she had been disguising via the boring volume.

Draco Malfoy was coming to stay with her in the summer! Only three months till she could have him all to herself!

She picked up her quill to reply but stopped as another message appeared suddenly.

_I miss you – come to the library x_

Hermione jumped to her feet startling the two boys in front of her.

"Ive decided your right Ron" she stated. Ron looked at her incredulously.

"Im going to return this book and maybe head into Hogsmede for the day" she finished, shutting the book closed with a loud snap and darting off up he grassy slope towards the main entrance.

Ron gaped at Harry who shrugged.

"Oooh look – a picture of Krum!" Harry exclaimed, "Black markers at the ready……." He instructed.

Grinning Ron pulled out a fat black pen and the two teenagers proceeded to provide the Bulgarian seeker with some extremely comical facial hair.

* * *

"Draco?" 

Hermione couldn't help but keep the feeling of unease out of her voice as she headed towards the back of the library. A chill had descended upon the room and she had a sudden feeling that not all was right.

"Draco?" she ventured once again and slowly unfolded the magical piece of parchment through which they'd previously been conversing.

The words, "Stay where you are!", were imprinted on the page. Hermione froze.

"See Draco darling, I knew she'd turn up sooner or later"

Hermione scowled instantly at the sound of Pansy Parkinson's voice. She rounded the corner and saw pansy twiddling Draco's wand between her fingers. Draco sat motionless in his chair, except for his eyes, which were screaming apologies at Hermione. She nodded and seated herself opposite pansy.

"What do you want Parkinson?" She asked coldly and pansy sneered at her.

"Good question, mudblood. Im glad you got straight to the point. Im sure Draco here can tell you that however"

Pansy raised Draco's wand and took the body bind curse off him. He gasped in a deep breath of air and then immediately turned to Hermione.

"Im sorry, she took me by surprise!" he attempted to explain but Hermione stopped him with a smile.

"I know, don't explain" she murmured, before turning her attention back to pansy.

"If you're here, going to all this trouble, then im guessing you know more about us then you should. Then is safe. So whatever it is that you want – you can have in exchange for your silence. Eternal silence" She added bitterly.

Pansy laughed and glanced at Draco's stricken face, before reaching across and shaking Hermione's outstretched hand.

"Done" She muttered, then tossed Draco's wand back to him, which he grabbed and jumped to his feet. Hermione restrained him gently.

"She's not worth it and she won't say anything" she murmured.

"How do you know?" Draco demanded of her and she smiled sadly.

"Because I know what she wants. She wants you and you're too valuable to risk losing" she whispered, and Draco kissed her.

"Ill have to marry her, you know" he said warily and watched her smile serenely.

"I know" she relied, "but she'll never really have you will she?"

Draco shook his head fiercely.

"Never" he vowed and kissed her again, this time more intensely and Hermione clung to him as if he would disappear.

* * *

"The spring dance is coming up you know" Hermione said softly, one morning as she lay on Draco's bed, attempting to read her charms textbook, but really watching Draco as he tidied his trunk. He was going home for the Easter holidays, with pansy to announce their engagement. 

"Uh huh" came Draco's answer.

"Who will you go with? Pansy?" Hermione ventured, assuming an expression of fake disinterest.

Draco turned round to face her and smiled lovingly at her, causing a shiver to run up and down her spine.

"Im not going actually" he said calmly, examining a set of scales and then discarding them, when he realised they were broken.

"And neither are you" he added.

"Im not?" Hermione sat up on his bed, crossing her legs under her and placing her book to one side.

"Wow – you stopped reading!" observed Draco in mock surprise. Hermione slid off the bed and folded herself into his arms.

"You and I both know I hadn't even started" she whispered, kissing him deeply. Draco moaned softly as her fingertips found their way under his shirt and touched the soft skin of his back.

"You're very dangerous you know Granger" he muttered, biting her bottom lip in lust. Hermione gazed up at him coyly through her eyelashes.

"No, I just keep dangerous company" she replied, then laughed as Draco flipped her over onto the carpet and sighed as she felt the heat of his body on top of hers.

"Hermione?! Hermione! You in there?"

"Ugh" Draco groaned as Harry's voice drifted up the staircase that led to Draco's private room. Hew rolled off her, lying on his back as she sat up, hastily rebuttoning her shirt as Harry burst into the room.

"Oh sorry" he muttered, blushing deeply.

"You will be potter" said Draco under his breath and Hermione snorted as she clambered to her feet.

"You alright Harry?" she asked quickly and Harry nodded.

"You know my scar was hurting a few weeks ago" he started and Hermione nodded.

"Well its doing it again…. Only this time it's not painful. Well not in a bad way – its different, as if its trying to tell me something – to help me" He breathed in excitement.

"What?" Hermione gaped at him. "Help us? How? Where was this?" she asked quickly.

"Well Ginny and I were in this disused classroom…. Er… trying to… er … study?" he started weakly.

"Classy potter" Draco interjected and Harry turned beetroot again.

"Yes anyway, it was there that I felt the pain… only it wasn't really painful – just uncomfortable. Anyway, I think we should check it out – look through the cupboards or something…" he suggested and Hermione nodded wildly.

"Definitely. It's too odd to be a coincidence I guess" she replied. "I have a meeting tonight with professor Dumbledore, but tomorrow we could look?" she suggested.

"Great, ill tell Ron!" Harry replied eagerly.

"Tell him you had detention though Harry" Hermione added, "You how Ron is…" she trailed off.

"Good point" Harry agreed seriously, blushing again at his memories.

"See you later then"

"Yeah… see you at dinner" Harry called back, shooting Draco a wary look.

"She'll be there – in one piece and not impregnated!" Draco called after him and Hermione threw a cushion at him.

"Ouch!" he cried as Hermione glared at him.

"You deserved that" she told him, returning the bed.

"I like the way you think Granger" Draco grinned and jumping on the bed, began to kiss her once again.


End file.
